E24 Advocacy Without Being Pushy: Trusting Yourself When You're Told to "Wait and See"

Advocacy is often talked about as being loud, confident, or knowing exactly what to say in the moment.
But for many parents (especially neurodivergent parents) advocacy looks very different.

In this episode, I talk about the quiet, exhausting, ongoing work of advocating for your child:
noticing patterns, asking questions, following up, and trusting yourself enough to keep going - even when you’re told to “wait and see.”

I share a personal story about advocating for my own child as a paediatric speech pathologist, and how subtle concerns around speech, hearing, and sleep were initially dismissed... until they weren’t.

We unpack:

• why advocacy can feel especially hard for neurodivergent parents

• how “wait and see” can trigger self-doubt and old wounds

• what advocacy actually is (and what it isn’t)

• practical, low-energy advocacy tools you can use in appointments

• how to ask for next steps without needing certainty

• why getting a second opinion isn’t being dramatic or disloyal

This episode isn’t about being confrontational or proving something is wrong.
It’s about trusting your concern, even when you don’t have perfect words. It's about knowing you’re allowed to ask again.